I appreciate what you're saying and felt the same until I got a closer view of W8 at CES in January. The Metro UI put me off when I first saw it but it's starting to grow on me. I like the simplicity of the icon-based app selector and the ability to provide some lightweight info in real-time on the icon (number of new email messages for example) is a nice touch.

But more importantly, I think where Microsoft is going with the W8 UI is smart because it was designed with smart phone and tablets in mind, so it will be possible to have a very similar if not identical UI across all hardware platforms that run W8 (desktops, ultrabooks, tablets, phones, etc.).

Like you, W7 has worked very well for me and I'm happy with it. However I do plan on finally catching up with the rest of the world and purchasing mobile products shortly after W8 is released (smart phone at minimum, probably a tablet too). From what I saw at CES W8 looked and worked well on mobile devices and though many in the tech media world have poo-pooed anything Windows phone to date, their critique may not be as relevant for W8. Throw in what I suspect will be tight Skype integration and Microsoft MAY have a competitive solution.

As for W8 and WMC, no one from Microsoft could-or would-tell me anything about it and no example was shown. Rumor has it that it's not going to change much from the current version running on W7 but at minimum, I really think they need to add much needed codec support to the app. I'm currently running W7 and JRiver Media Center and this combination works very well though I still have to use WMC for my Ceton cable card TV tuners.

I should have-but did not-ask about this at CES but one would hope that the size of the icons could be adjusted, or set to auto-adjust in size relative to the number of icons. Meaning the fewer the number of icons, the larger each one can be on the desktop (and by extension the display). Of course the size of text and controls within a app would be a separate issue.

I should have-but did not-ask about this at CES but one would hope that the size of the icons could be adjusted, or set to auto-adjust in size relative to the number of icons. Meaning the fewer the number of icons, the larger each one can be on the desktop (and by extension the display). Of course the size of text and controls within a app would be a separate issue.

Larger icons are one thing but readable text from the couch is a whole other thing!!

But more importantly, I think where Microsoft is going with the W8 UI is smart because it was designed with smart phone and tablets in mind, so it will be possible to have a very similar if not identical UI across all hardware platforms that run W8 (desktops, ultrabooks, tablets, phones, etc.).

This is one of the reasons I am excited about Windows 8 -- I have a WP7 phone with the Metro UI and I love it. I especially like the live tiles and how everything is textual -- no guessing what's behind the image. If I can get the same experience on my desktop, phone 10' UI, tablet, etc. I am going to be very happy. WAF will also be VERY high.

The thing I'd like to see most with the new UI (I realize this is not going to be in the W8CP but I hope for "someday") is WMC broken out into tiles for each app within WMC (Music, Movies, LiveTV, etc.) and control of the UI via Remote Control -- at least to move across tiles with the arrow keys and using the ok button to launch one. It will certainly be a whole lot easier to integrate "add-ins" for WMC functionality into the Metro UI than it has been into WMC7. It just unifies everything.

I was REALLY HOPING that the consumer preview would have some form of media center on it, even if it was the same as the last one. But from all the rumors, it looks like it won't be included until the final release. But who knows, we might get a surprise tomorrow.

I have a three month old HTPC that I have been milking the Windows 7 trial period to try to wait until the consumer preview came out. The hope was that I would not have to buy the OS just yet and use the consumer preview. But without media center in the consumer preview, I will just go out and buy a copy of Windows 7 Home Premium OEM this weekend.

I've always bitched at people when their greasy paws get too close to my monitor..

But for the mobile market it is a necessity. I think MS is trying to integrate the PC with the tablet in this release as in same OS for either or both.

I guess more people will be going with touch-screens but I use my PC for work, bookkeeping and preparing files for watching. I use the HTPC for theater and music playback. I suppose for kids and gaming/learning apps a touch-screen would be good.

I was REALLY HOPING that the consumer preview would have some form of media center on it, even if it was the same as the last one. But from all the rumors, it looks like it won't be included until the final release. But who knows, we might get a surprise tomorrow.

I have a three month old HTPC that I have been milking the Windows 7 trial period to try to wait until the consumer preview came out. The hope was that I would not have to buy the OS just yet and use the consumer preview. But without media center in the consumer preview, I will just go out and buy a copy of Windows 7 Home Premium OEM this weekend.

My understanding as of now WMC will be in the final W8 release but it will be nothing more then the same as in W7. Of course we can all hope there will be upgrades, but doesn't look like it

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sammy2

Touch-screen interface in an HTPC?

I've always bitched at people when their greasy paws get too close to my monitor..

But for the mobile market it is a necessity. I think MS is trying to integrate the PC with the tablet in this release as in same OS for either or both.

I guess more people will be going with touch-screens but I use my PC for work, bookkeeping and preparing files for watching. I use the HTPC for theater and music playback. I suppose for kids and gaming/learning apps a touch-screen would be good.

For an HTPC I definitely wouldn't want a touch screen. For an all in one PC a touch screen works great for kids (as it does with my two boys currently, they don't even realize you need a mouse to operate a PC!)

For me, while even having the same MC integration as Win7 in 8 would be something (just glad MS aren't dropping it!), I think the possibilities for what could be done with 8MC are quite incredible;

A full tiled interface to Media Center using Metro. Each tile is live, one could be showing live TV, the other a guide, link to movies. Media Browser could have it's own tile, a weather tile, along with any other compatible MC plugins. Easy to extend, as you just keep scrolling.

Make sure it can be controlled with a standard REMOTE. I expect it will, but being able to navigate 8MC/metro with a remote control from your chair would be great.

Support Kinect navigation with 8MC gesture control. While not everyone will make use of this, it's got a lot of possibilities.

Obviously include the ability for 8MC to act as an extender (we can dream!)

There's lots more, but this is a start. I just have a feeling 8MC is going to be hidden away in there, and function just the same as 7MC. What would be good is for MS to develop 8MC as a app/plugin, and really go to town on it. I'd pay for that.

Thanks, that is in line with what I have been hearing (most likely wont be in the consumer preview and will be essentially identical to that in W7). Trust me, I wish I had more info but many of the other MVPs feel the same way right now.

This is enough to make me switch. And since the Consumer Preview only expires in Jan 2013, you basically have a free 1 year license. Of course in addition there will be many apps in the Windows store which will only get better.

HTPC apps like MediaBrowser, XBMC are a perfect candidate for Metro - single install, settings are preserved, large UI, and automatic upgrade.

It's a shame really, because it's almost like we don't need the WMC interface anymore. I wrote about basically the same thing mentioned above on the Verge forums and these forums once or twice before, but if Microsoft segmented out the parts of WMC to implement them directly on the start screen, and made sure that all Metro apps are fully controllable by remote, there's zero need for WMC proper.

Metro already works great as a 10' interface. Just add direct links to guide, recorded TV, etc. to the Metro start screen, and it's perfect. Plus, then we'd get to use any Metro app (such as a hypothetical Netflix, Hulu, Spotify, etc.) directly with the remote, rather than developers needing a separate WMC SDK (which has been barely utilized other than a few dedicated third-party devs).

I grabbed a dev copy and threw it on vmware to try it out. Didn't play with it much but from a desktop standpoint I don't like it. No start menu? WTH?
And metro is just not for me. It looks like windows phone which I hate.

Obviously that part of it is more for a tablet. So I would like to try it out with a touch screen. Although I'm an android guy so idk. Besides metro it does look very similar to win 7.

I grabbed a dev copy and threw it on vmware to try it out. Didn't play with it much but from a desktop standpoint I don't like it. No start menu? WTH?
And metro is just not for me. It looks like windows phone which I hate.

Obviously that part of it is more for a tablet. So I would like to try it out with a touch screen. Although I'm an android guy so idk. Besides metro it does look very similar to win 7.